Improvement in machines for dressing flax and hemp



G. G. HOWARD; MACHINE FOR DRESSING FLAX AND HEMP.

No. 44138. Patented Sept. 6, 1864.

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UNITED STATES QATENT OFFicE.

c. e. HOWARD, or TOPEKA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND E. A. GO'ODELL.or SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT l-N MACHINES FOR DRESSING FL-AX AND HEMP.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 Ll38, dated Ecplcmher(i, 1864.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, G. G. HOWARD, of T0-peka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented a newand Improved Hemp and Flax Dressing Machine;'- and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in which Figure l is a side view of my invention; Fig. 2,atransverse vertical section of the same, taken in the line as m, Fig.1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like I parts.

This invention consists in the employment or use of two flutedbreaking-rollers, two 1'0- tary dressers, and a rising or falling clampto hold the hemp or flax while being operated upon, all being arrangedto operate in the manner substantially as hereinafter set forth.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a framing, which may be constructed in any proper manner tosupport the working parts of the device.

B is a driving-shaft placed horizontally i one part. of the framing A,and having two pulleys, G C, placed upon it, and firmly secured by keys;and a toothed wheel, D, is also keyed on the inner end of said shaft,the wheel D gearing into a corresponding wheel, E, on the shaft F of arotary dresser, G, the latter being composed of arms a, projectingradially from the shaft F, and having bars I) at their ends to whichteeth 0 are attached at right angles, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. Thereare two of these rotary dressers, G G, and they are constructedprecisely similar," and connected by gear-wheels H H at one end of theirshafts F F. Motion is communicated to the dressers G G from thedriving-- shaft B by means of the toothed wheels 1) E previously alludedto.

I I represent two fluted break ng-rollers which gear into each other,and are directly above the rotary dressers G G. The roller 1 their ends;These levers and weights have a tendency to keep the two rollers workingin close contact, and still admit of the roller I yielding or giving toa certain extent, as may be required. Motion is communicated 'to therollers I I by means of a toothed wheel, K, on the roller 1, which gearsinto apinion, L, on a shaft, M. The shaft M has two loose pulleys, NN,-placed upon it, either of which may be connected with the shaft M bymeans of a clutch, O, placed between them, said clutch being operated bya lever, P. The pulley N has a ei'ossbelt, a, passing around it from thepulley 0, while the pulley N has a straight belt, a, passing around itfrom the pulley O.

(Q is an upright frame formed 01' two pairs of uprights, f f, with aspace between each pair for a vertical rack-bar, R, to work in.

- Into these rack-bars pinions S S on the shaft of the lluted roller Igear; and each rack-bar has a spring or elastic projection, y, attachedto it, on which aelamp, T, rests. This clamp is composed of a bar, 71,having a spring-catch, i, at each end of it; and a bar, j, is fittedlooselyon screws k 7;, which pass into a bar, Z, a spring, on, beinginterposed between the two bars j Z. The catches z i hold the barj whilethe bar Z is pressed by the spring at against the hemp or flax which isplaced between h and Z.-

U is a board which is connected by springs 02 n to a horizontal bar, 0,in the frame. Q and VV represent dogs attached to one of the uprights fat each end of said frame, as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation is as follows: The hemp or flax to be opcrated'upon isplaced in the clamp T, and power being applied to the shaft 13, theclutch O is adjusted so as to engage with the pulley N, and therack-bars R It and clamp T descend, the hemp or flax in the clamppassing between the fluted rollers I I, which bruise and break it. Thehemp or flax, after passing between the rollers I I, passes between therotary dressers G G, which separate the woody portion from the fiber,the latter remaining in the clamp. When the clamp reaches its lowestpoint of descent, which is near the rollers 11, the operator actuatcsthe lever P so as to engage the clutch O with the I swinging board Uyielding to the pressure and allowing the clamp to adjust itself on thepatches 9 of the rack-bars R as the latter des cend by throwing theclutch O in connection with the pulley N. In-this latter descent of theclamp T the butts of the hemp or flax which were above the clamp in itsfirst descent are now made to pass down between the rollers I I androtary dressers G G, and when the clamp reaches its lowest point, it isagain raised by reversing the movement as before, and when the clampreaches, the dogs V, the

latter throw it out upon the platform of the framing. The clamp is thenrefilled and the operationrepeated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,- and desire tosecure byLetters Patent, is-

1.' The fluted breaking-rollers I I, in combination with the rotatingdressers G G", provided with teeth a, and the clamp '1, arranged tooperate as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The dogs V V and yielding board U, in connection with the rack-bars RR, all arranged to operate with the clamp T, as and for the purposespecified 'o. G, HOWARD.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. BANKS, Y F. W. Guns.-

